1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated module that includes a pluggable connector for interfacing with a signal source and a semiconductor die package.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor die or chip is an electrical component on which a microcircuit is built. The microcircuits can be interconnected together on a printed circuit board to form larger electrical circuits for use in computers, televisions, routers and various appliances, to name just a few. To permit the aforementioned devices to communicate with other devices, a signal received from a remote location is generally transmitted through an interface to the printed circuit board on which one or more semiconductor chips containing active components, such as transistors, are mounted. With computers and other data processing equipment, increases in speed lead to expanded capabilities in graphics, communications, and database applications, to name just a few.
In conventional electronic systems, the length of the wiring path between the interface or connector at which a remote signal is received and the active components within the microcircuit contained on the semiconductor chip contributes to signal noise and a reduction in the operation speed of the electronic system. As the operation speeds of IC dies increase, the propagation delay of signals passing between an interface at which the signals are received from a remote source and the IC dies in the electronic system becomes significant.
The assembly of conventional electronic systems including one or more connectors and semiconductor chips is complex and requires great precision in the placement of connectors providing the interface with incoming signals relative to the printed circuit board or substrate on which the connector is mounted. A standard modular jack-type connector may have 4, 8 or another number of internal electrically-conductive pins that extend through the connector and must be precisely positioned on pads at the ends of wire paths on a printed circuit board. One or more semiconductor chips may also be electrically connected to the printed circuit board.
Multi-chip modules, which are sometimes referred to as multi-chip carriers, have been proposed as a way to miniaturize electronic systems. Multi-chip modules are semiconductor die carriers that house multiple semiconductor IC dies. The multi-chip modules generally include an insulative housing that protects and supports the IC dies and a plurality of leads that extend from the housing to couple electrical signals to and from the IC dies.
The semiconductor die package includes a housing that holds the semiconductor die and conductive leads or pins that extend from the bottom or sides of the housing. The conductive leads are electrically connected to the semiconductor die within the housing. The outside ends of the leads are soldered to conductive paths on the printed circuit board. This secures the semiconductor die package to the printed circuit board and permits electrical signals to pass between the semiconductor die and other components on the printed circuit board.
In a conventional semiconductor die package, the housing encases the semiconductor die to prevent damage to the semiconductor die from exposure to the environment. The housing may be hermetically sealed, encased in plastic, or otherwise sealed against the environment.
A standard interface or connector for sending and receiving a signal from a remote source, receiving power, and transmitting the signal and the power to a printed circuit board includes modular jacks such as a RJ-45 type modular jack. In a typical application, such a standard modular jack is mounted on a printed circuit board and electrically connected through wire leads formed by conventional processes on the printed circuit board to a semiconductor chip that is wire bonded to pads on the printed circuit board at the ends of the wire leads. In addition to the detrimental effect on operation speed caused by the length of the wire path between the modularjack and the semiconductor chip, the manufacture of such conventional electronic systems is also complex and costly because of the requirement to position the standard modular jack and the semiconductor chips in the exact right position relative to the wire leads formed on the printed circuit board and as a result of the multiple components.